Italy is a nation better known for producing some of the greatest defenders in football history, but they've had their fair share of creative flair and attacking prowess through the years, too. In fact, some of the best players to ever pull on the Azzurri kit have dominated the middle of the park.

So, digging deeper into the archives of the best Italian footballers of all time conjures memories of some of the most graceful, skilful, and technically impressive players to ever play the beautiful game. From World Cup winners to titans of the domestic leagues, Italian players are born winners, but who's the best of the best when it comes to midfielders from the proud nation?

GIVEMESPORT has assessed all the midfield generals, the playmakers, and the icons of the game capable of producing magic at the key moments to determine the greatest Italian midfielders in football history.

Ranking factors:

• International achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Club achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Individual awards
• Legacy within football

10 Mauro Camoranesi

Career span: 1994-2014

A highly technical midfielder who possessed an incredible range of passing, Camoranesi was the unsung hero of the Italian side of the 2000s and 2010s. While players like Andrea Pirlo caught the eye with their silky skills, it was Camoranesi who was the engine in the midfield for the Azzurri as they went on to win the World Cup in 2006.

At club level, Camoranesi put his immense creativity to good use, registering a huge amount of assists during his time with Juventus. Just like he did for his country, Camoranesi made the Turin side tick, adding dynamism to an already impressive midfield.

9 Marco Verratti

Career span: 2008-present

Verratti is the only player on this list who is still playing, albeit in the Qatari league with Al-Arabi. In his prime, Verratti excelled at PSG, winning nine Ligue 1 titles and 12 domestic cups in France. Primarily operating as a number 6, the tough-tackling, energetic midfielder provided impeccable cover for his defenders, and was often able to kick-start a counter-attacking move with his precise passing.

He was integral to Italy's march to victory at Euro 2020, becoming something of a leader within the Azzurri squad. A highly intelligent and surprisingly physical player, Verratti was the perfect blend of technical talent and well-placed aggression.

8 Adolfo Baloncieri

Career span: 1919-1944

It's worth noting that Baloncieri could play as a number 10 or as a striker, which would explain his excellent goalscoring record. Wherever he was playing, though, there's no doubting this man is an Italian legend, and he was rightly regarded as one of the finest players of his generation.

An elegant footballer with superb dribbling, an eye for a defence-splitting pass, and formidable finishing, Baloncieri could do it all, whether it be setting up a chance or putting the ball in the net himself. It's just a shame he was never able to win the trophies his talent deserved.

7 Gennaro Gattuso

Career span: 1994-2013

When it comes to doing the dirty work for your team, Gennaro Gattuso pretty much wrote the book. The fiery Italian defensive midfielder may have been diminutive in stature, but he more than made up for it with his highly physical and (sometimes overly) aggressive approach to the game. One thing you can never accuse Gattuso of is playing without passion.

Like Camoranesi, Gattuso was the kind of player that allowed his more creative and technical teammates to flourish, and he was key to the 2006 World Cup win. And, he was the beating heart behind AC Milan's Champions League success in the 2000s.

6 Gianni Rivera

Career span: 1958-1979

Gianni Rivera is one of only two men on this list to have won the Ballon d'Or, which tells you everything you need to know about his talents and his contributions to the game. His attacking returns at club level, with 327 goal contributions in total, paint a picture of a prolific playmaker, but that would be selling Rivera short. Put simply, he was a genius, and one of the most naturally gifted Italian players of all time.

Rivera won the European Championship in 1968, and won the European Cup with AC Milan a year later, as well as winning everything there is to be won domestically with the Italian giants.

5 Daniele De Rossi

Career span: 2002-2020

A product of the famous AS Roma academy, De Rossi spent 17 years with his boyhood club and forged a reputation for himself as one of the most impressive all-round midfielders of his generation. He was tenacious, strong in the tackle, and highly passionate, but he also had the skills and creative vision to be just as effective in both halves of the pitch.

De Rossi lifted the World Cup with Italy as part of that brilliant midfield in 2006, though he did miss four games through suspension. However, the midfield terrier did don the captain's armband for the Azzurri on occasion, which shows just how important he was to the Italy side.

4 Roberto Baggio

Career span: 1980-2004

Many football fans would class Roberto Baggio as a forward, but he also played a huge number of games as an attacking midfielder. 432 goal contributions at club level, a Ballon d'Or win in 1993, and a key player for Italy across three different World Cups in the '90s, Baggio is without a doubt one of the very best players of his era. Some players just ooze flair and swagger, but few could transform a game quite like this man.

It's a shame he never won a major international tournament, famously blazing his spot-kick over during the shootout against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup final, but Baggio had plenty of success with Juventus, and even won the Serie A title with AC Milan, too, just for good measure.

3 Marco Tardelli

Career span: 1972-1988

Marco Tardelli is one of the most decorated players on this list, winning multiple league titles and European trophies with Juventus, and also helping guide Italy to victory in the 1982 World Cup. His goal in the final of that tournament against West Germany, followed by his iconic 'Tardelli Cry' celebration, have given the central midfielder a lasting legacy in the game, but he is remembered for far more than just that one moment.

Players like Tardelli, who make the game look so effortless, are a rare breed, and there's no doubt Tardelli inspired the golden generation of Italy that emerged in the 2000s.

2 Sandro Mazzola

Career span: 1960-1977

This one-club man is regarded as one of Inter Milan's greatest ever players, and for good reason. With over 550 appearances for the club, 162 goals, and key contributions to Inter's back-to-back Champions League wins in 1964 and 1965, along with four Serie A wins, it's clear that Mazzola deserves his place in the Italian Football Hall of Fame.

Mazzola was brilliant at reading the game (and controlling games, too), and he forged a top-quality partnership with none other than Gianni Rivera in the centre of the Italian midfield through the 1960s and '70s. Though it was Rivera who claimed the Ballon d'Or, it is Mazzola who was the superior talent.

1 Andrea Pirlo

Career span: 1994-2018

You can put Andrea Pirlo in the same bracket as players like Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Zinedine Zidane, and Xavi, as one of the finest central midfielders of the modern era. Pirlo was an imperious talent, the kind of graceful, gifted genius who appeared almost superhuman on the pitch, capable of pulling off some of the most ludicrously slick moments of magic when his teams needed him.

He was the main man in that 2006 World Cup win, and he will always be remembered in England for that outrageous panenka that knocked the Three Lions out of Euro 2012. Of course, he was highly successful at club level, too, winning six Serie A titles, including four back-to-back wins with Juventus.